Janice takes up new role as artistic director of Kilkenny theatre company

CARLOW’S Janice de Bróithe is looking forward to a new and exciting challenge in 2025 following her appointment as artistic director of Barnstorm Theatre Company in Kilkenny.

Known for her passion and enthusiasm for theatre, Janice will be bringing that energy to her new role at Barnstorm – which is dedicated to theatre for young audiences. With a strong emphasis on community outreach, education and youth theatre, Barnstorm has a proud 33-year history and a strong profile locally, nationally and internationally.

“The ethos is not children’s theatre but just good theatre,” explained Janice.

“We’ll be working with community groups and schools; it is a company dedicated to working with young people and producing professional work. It’s really exciting and very much the dream job,” she added.

Janice’s love of theatre started from a young age and as a youngster she was involved with the Spotlight Stage School, Carlow Young Artists Choir and Carlow Youth Theatre. Performance and the arts are in her blood and her father Tom Brophy was a founder member of Dolmen Musical Society in Carlow.

As a teenager, Janice realised that she could use her passion and turn it into a profession and this was a turning point for her.

Janice went to University College Cork, where she studied Drama and Theatre Studies and also has a postgraduate diploma in theatre directing with LAMDA.

Since then, Janice has worked with various productions in Scotland and Ireland while she also ran her own theatre company, Slapdash Theatre, from 2012 to 2020. More recently, she worked as artistic co-ordinator with Equinox Theatre in Callan, Co Kilkenny, a company dedicated to the creation, development, production and touring of new, inclusive theatre work.

Janice also co-directed First Light, the big spectacle theatre show by Asylum Productions, a real highlight of Carlow Arts Festival in 2024.

Janice is very much looking forward to taking on her role in what promises to be a new and exciting chapter for Barnstorm.

“I am so excited about it in so many ways. I am really looking forward to it. I have worked with a lot of people that have come through Barnstorm, and their programme in one box does all the type of work that I have been doing. I love that,” she added.

Janice De Bróithe officially took up the role last week following a hand-over period since last November.

“I will be making my directorial debut with Barnstorm in February with a beautiful production called Hare & Tortoise, a stunning adaptation of the fable by Brendan Murray. It will run for three full weeks with shows from Monday to Friday for schools and family performances at the weekend, so we’d love to see Carlow schools and audiences come along,” she said.